Drama, comedy, and animation –there will be something for everyone at theEuropean Union Short Film Festival: It’s Time for Shorts! running May 8 to May 9 at Club SAW (67 Nicholas St.). Show time starts at 7 p.m. on both days.

It’s Time for Shorts! was made possible by a collaboration between The Canadian Film Institute (CFI) and The European Union Institute for Culture (EUNIC).

Sponsored by the Canadian council for the arts, CFI supports and promotes Canadian film. Incorporated in 1935 CFI is a federally chartered, non-governmental, non-profit cultural organization. It is also the oldest film institute in the Country and the second oldest in the world.

Made up of 32 organizations from 26 member states of the European Union, the EUNIC seeks to improve cultural diversity and understanding by way of creating effective partnerships between countries. This short film festival with CFI is one such partnership.

This free-of-charge event, features 15 short films from European filmmakers who are better known for their feature films.

“This exciting and diverse range of films reveals the multi-faceted cinematic talents working in short film formats (animation, documentary, fiction) in the European Union. Several of these shorts are award-winning, all are impressive!” said Canadian Film Institute Executive Director Tom McSorley.

With so many big budget films unable to take risks, it can be hard to find surprises in film. If you have finally seen enough romantic-comedies or are not a fan of summertime superhero movies, It’s Time for Shorts! is a perfect break for those craving something more.

Some standout films include:

Sunny, Germany, 30-minutes: A highly aggressive 19-year-old suddenly becomes a father. Instead of picking fights, he now has to support his newborn baby, but his plan puts his child at risk.

Tussilago, Sweden, 19-minutes: In an Animated documentary, a woman tells her story about how she got involved in terrorism in the 1970s.

Boles, Slovenia, 12-minutes: A hungry writer who dreams of fame takes on an assignment from his elderly-prostitute neighbor: writing a letter to her fiancé.

Author: Michael Myers
Michael is a second year Professional Writing Student from Algonquin College. In 2009, he graduated from Trent University with a bachelor's degree in Business Administration. After some time working in Business Administration and Accounting, Michael has switched his focus to writing.